There was a theory out there years ago saying that we are all only separated by six degrees. I don't know if that was ever founded or unfounded. I find it hard to believe that at any given time I am six degrees removed from the President of the United States or the Queen of England.
Still, it is a nice theory to think that we are all so intimately connected.
While I may doubt the six degrees, I do believe that we are intimately connected on God's level. He helps people and things fall into place in ways that we could never plan!
Karrie was one of my roommates at She Speaks. As luck (or should I say God?) would have it, she is heading to Ecuador in a couple of weeks with her church. Like me, she sponsors a child in Ecuador. They are working on getting it set up so that she and her daughter can meet Gazella.
Of course, my thoughts started turning. What if they could meet my little girl, Delia? Could they take something to her?
Compassion International would love for us to be able to send things through the mail, but with things needing to go through customs, we are limited to small, flat, light items. So, I've been confined to sending a page of a coloring book, a few pictures, a bookmark, stickers, etc. These are all things that seem to delight Delia, but her birthday was June 1 and I so longed to send her so much more.
Compassion International does allow birthday gifts of a sort. You send a bit extra and the staff in the country appraise the needs and get the child something. I was happy to do this, but I longed for that personal touch.
So, I've been corresponding with someone from Compassion and talked to someone today. If I can get some things together and get them to Karrie, Karrie can hand them off to the staff that accompanies her child. Since it will already be in country, that staff will be able to eventually get the items to Delia.
I was on cloud nine thinking of it all afternoon. What could I send? It still must be light and easy to carry. As I talked about it with Julie, I decided that my first tactic would be to scout out my house. So, I've turned the place upside down and come up with several items for Delia as well as her family. As luck (and God) would have it, they are all very light and portable. I think the only things I might be picking up are a few pretties for her long hair and some hard candy that she can share with her friends.
God even helped me stumble on something I think is appropriate for her father. It's a very small pair of quality binoculars. When I was on staff with InterVarsity, there was a foundation that gave to my support. They always sent along birthday and Christmas gifts. Sometimes it was book. Other times it was this nifty little gadgety tool thing. Once, they sent binoculars. I had stowed them away, it seems, for just such a time as this.
Please pray that things continue to get worked out so that these small tokens can get to Delia. The are small tokens of my care for her and her family. More than anything I want her to know God's love.
Do you have a child with Compassion International? Please tell me about him or her!
1 comment:
Wonderful!
I believe that when it comes to those folks who live in abject poverty, there is only one (1) degree of separation between us and them--location.
For if we lived 'there' and they lived 'here', they would have our jobs, going to our malls, being treated in our hospitals, and sending their children to our schools.
And of course we would have (or not have) all the things they do.
Location is the only difference; the one degree if you will, that separates us all.
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